UNREAL Synonyms: 122 Similar and Opposite Words

unreal

adjective

ˌən-ˈrē(-ə)l

Definition of unreal

as in absurd

conceived or made without regard for reason or reality an unreal claim that is distant from the slightest hint of truth

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in imaginary

not real and existing only in the imagination the unreal world of TV sitcoms

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of unreal Grabbing a wire-free smart video doorbell with 2K resolution, head-to-toe wide-angle coverage, and two-way talk under $40 is an unreal deal. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026 Her testimony on Wednesday in the case of the American Idol contestant accused of murdering his wife was absolutely unreal. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026 All the horrors — planes hitting towers out of a cloudless sky, all the rest — seemed somehow unreal. — Robert Stone, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026 And while lots of eras and trades are different and dependent on the market at the time, Shaq going for just one first-round pick, even at 31, still seems unreal. — Zach Harper, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unreal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unreal

Adjective

Alongside Kardashian, Watts, Nash-Betts and Paulson, the series stars Teyana Taylor, Matthew Noszka and Glenn Close, who all one-up each other with deliriously absurd lines of dialogue.

— Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
The title comes from a phrase that became part of his creative vocabulary and began appearing in sketches whenever an absurd situation called for a perfectly incredulous response.

— Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of absurd

Adjective

This comes after the league rescinded fines levied against 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk and Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson for pretending to chug an imaginary drink.

— Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Still, her father’s dinner does not erase his refusal to recognize her gender; his refusal does not make the dinner or hospital bill imaginary.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of imaginary

Adjective

Creating a licensing body is not a bizarre idea in a world where the FAA determines the airworthiness of planes and banks must pass stress tests to operate.

— Diane Brady, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2026
From bizarre medical tests to a mass phobia of beans, here are 14 surprising facts that reveal just how inventive, eccentric, and fascinating the ancient Greeks really were.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of bizarre

Adjective

The Swiss manufacturer has just unveiled a new lineup of Seamaster Diver 300Ms inspired by James Bond and Spectre, the fictitious crime org seen in the 007 flicks.

— Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2026
The Russian security service’s Meliorator tool has been used to create over a thousand profiles of fictitious Americans, primarily on X (formerly Twitter), to spread Kremlin narratives at a fraction of the cost of human troll farms.

— Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of fictitious

Adjective

Soaking the suburbs over parking is reminiscent of other foolish, revenue-grabbing ideas, such as a congestion tax aimed at outsiders as a way to gin up money to cover Chicago’s ever-present budget black hole.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
With Oracle having lost more than $20 billion in stock-market value today, this appears to be penny-wise and pound foolish.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of foolish

Adjective

Set in a small fictional town called Awatahi, the show explores the murder of 17-year-old Jodie Hunter.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
People have since replaced the imp with fictional people like Sam and Dean Winchester and Wednesday Addams, public figures like Gypsy-Rose Blanchard and even mascots like Ronald McDonald.

— Angela Yang, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of fictional

Adjective

Jennifer De Angelo Baxter sculpted green snake heads and a headpiece out of foam, aluminum foil and cardboard to conjure the mythical Greek monster Medusa.

— Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2026
This coincidental trait inspired researchers to name the new genus Herugavialis after Heru, or Horus, the Egyptian god associated with the construction of the mythical creature.

— Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of mythical

Browse Nearby Words

unready

unreal

unrealistic

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“Unreal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unreal. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of unreal

adjective

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